Refrigerating apparatus



June 10, 1930. J. SCHURMAN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Fil'ed Sept. 25, 1928Patented June 10, 1930 PATENT. OFFICE JOHN scnomun, or crlnvnmnn, onro,

ASSIGNOR T YORK ICE MACHINERY COB RORATION, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filedSeptember 25, 1928. Serial No. 308,287.

My invention relates to refrigerating apparatus of the type in which aspray of cooling liquid is employed for inducing air circulation andlowering the temperature of the air in cold storage rooms or the like.It aims especially to provide a relatively simple structure which iscapable of delivering cooled air, free from excessive moisture, thusmaintaining in a relatively dry condition, the

1m room in which it is place Other advantages will appear from thefollowing specification when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing',

' 15 Fig. 1 is'a side-view of a spray tube embodying my invention, partsbeing broken away to show the interior structure; Fig. 2 is a view takenat'right angles to Fig. 1 yvith parts broken away to show the ingoterior deflector plate;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View; I v Fig. i is a fragmentar view showing theinterior of the air outlet ox and its relation to the spray tube Fig. 5is a vertical sectional view of the structure of the surge plate; and

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the surge plate. This'inv ention isparticularly adapted for use in cooling rooms designed for storing asmeat and provisions, and when so used the spray tubes may beconvenientlymounted on One wall of the room. In the embodiment of -the inventionshown and described herein, such an arrangement is contemplated; As

35 shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing aspray tube T is mounted on the wall Wandheld in spaced relation thereto by means of straps 1 fastened toblocks 2. l

The spray tube T is made up of a cylindrical body portion 3, a curvedelbow inlet portion Land adischarge portion 5. The inlet portion 4,having an open end 4, is secured to he body portion-3 at 6, so as toform an 'air and water-tight joint and contains an open ing 7 at its topside. Projecting into the open-' ing 7 is a liquid inlet pipe 8 having anozzle 9 at its lower end. The body portion 3 is apertured near itslower end, to receive an air outlet box 10 secured thereto in anysuitable to manner as by rivets 11.

The box 10 contains a series of vertically. disposed angular eliminators12 suitably secured to a plate 13 adapted to be carried in an opening 11 in the top of the box 10. These eliminators are held in fixed relationto one anotherby a plate 15 secured to their lower ends. The front wallof'the box 10 is cut away to accommodate a frame structure made up ofside pieces 16 riveted to the box 10, and joined together by spacedlouvers 17, these 1ouvers being placed at an angle so as to deflect in adownward direction, air currents passing between them. The bottom wallof box '10 slopes inwardly so that the moisture collected from theout-going air may flow to the discharge portion of the tube and minglewith the liquid which collects there.

The discharge portion 5 of the tube T has a restricted portion 18threaded on the inside to accommodate a liquid discharge pipe 19 whichis, in turn, connected to a liquid return header20. Restricted portion'18 carries two spaced upstanding'lugs 21. These lugs are cut-away toreceive a surge plate 22, carrying two diametrically spaced spacerplates 23 secured thereto, as by brazingfand two diametrically spaceddepending lugs 24 riveted thereto. The plate 22, together with spacerplates 23, is apertured at 25 to receive rivets 26 for securing thesurge plate 22 and associated parts in fixed relation to the lugs 21.When rivets 26 are driven into position and headed down, the partsoccupy the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the plates 23 contactingwith lugs 21 and the lugs 24 with the portion '18 so as to leave fourrectangular openings 27 between the plate 22 and portion 18. Thisstructure provides a constricted outlet for the tube T, and consequentlytheliquid entering this tube from the nozzle 9 cannot escape as rapidlyas it enters, but accumulates to some depth above the surge plate 22.The collected liquid forms an effective seal for the 1 discharge end oftube T and prevents the escape of air througlrthe liquid discharge pipe19.

The liquid spray issues from nozzle 9 under considerable pressure andwould tend to be thrown into the outlet box 10 and to produce anundesirable accumulation of liquid in 3, so as to hold the plate at asubstantial angle with respect to the wall of the tube, and to deflecttoward the opposite wall and away from the opening of the box liquidstriking it from above.

The outlet box is not far removed from the liquid discharge pipe 19, andwhen liquid accumulates above the surge plate and is rendered turbulentby the flow of liquid from above, some of this liquid or of the spraytween louvers 17 into the room.

might enter the outlet box 10 and escape be- Such a condition isundesirable and would tend to produce a damp room instead of a cool roomcontaining air of the desired moisture content; Such a contingency isavoided by the use of a wiper late 30 secured to the inside wall of tube'1 ust below the bottom wall of outlet box, 10 and in alignmenttherewith. This plate is in the form of a semi-circular rim having anarrow. oflset angular flange 31, which projects downwardly toward theliquid outlet. When liquid collects above the surge plate 22 theresulting spray which tends to be thrown over into the box 10 strikesthe flange 31 and is deflected back into the tube.

The room containing the installationis preferably constructed with anupstanding barrier 34 in front of the spray tubes so as to form anoutlet channel 32 containing a drain 33 for any liquid which may dripfrom the tubes, due to leaksor condensation.

The operation of the device is as follows:

It will be understood that in practice a plurality of the spray tubes Twill be installed in the room to be cooled and'that cold liquid or brinewill be supplied to the inlet pipes 8 under considerable pressure,preferably at least 25 pounds per square inch. The liquid will bedischarged from nozzles 9 in an angular diverging spray, which will passdownward and by injector action draw in air from the room through theinlet opening 4*. The liquid will be deflected by deflector 28 and willthen ass out through openings 27 to discharge pipe 19 and return header20, which may conveniently return such liquid to the source whichsupplies the inlet pipes 8.

As the air is drawn in through inlet openings 4, it is thoroughly mixedwith the liquid spray andits temperature rapidly lowered. When it passesbelow the deflector 28 it cannot escape through the pipe 19 because itis blocked by the accumulation of liquid above the surge plate 22, andit cannot circulate upwardly because it is-opposed by the pressure ofthe down-flowing liquid from nozzle 9, hence it passes out into outletbox 10, where meaeaa the excess moisture is removed bythe eliminatorplates 12. The discharged air then passes between the louvers 17 whichdeflect it downwardly into the room where it is warmed and thencirculates upwardly to be returned eventually to the inlets 1 to becooled again.

By the use of this apparatus excess moisture may be removed from the airsupplied to the cooler without producing "an ObIIGCtIOII able drying-outof the products to be cooled. 1

be secured, in some cases as high as 175 feet a minute, at a distance of34 feet from the spray tubes.

Although I have herein shown and de'-' scribed only one form ofapparatus embodying my invention, it will be obvious that variouschanges may be made in the details within the scope of the apendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. 9

' What isblaimed is: I

1. A refrigerating apparatus coinprisinga vertically disposed tubehaving an elbow portion arranged to form a substantially horizontal airinlet; means for supplying a downward current of'liquid spray to theinside of said tube to draw air through said inletya horizontallydisposed air outlet box connect ed into the wall of said tube near thebottom end thereof; moisture removing means in said box; and means fordischarging liquid from said tube.

2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a substantially Verticallydisposed tube having an angle portion at'the upper end thereof; meansfor supplyinga downward current of cooling liquid to the inside of saidtube to draw air through saidangle portion; an air outlet box connectedinto the wall of said tube adjacent the lower end thereof; moistureremoving means in said box; and means connected to said tube fordischarging liquid and cooperating with said spray to prevent thedischarge of air therefrom. I

3. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a vertical tube having an airinlet portion form an air inlet; means for supplying a downward currentof liquid spray to the inside of said tube; an air outlet box near thebottom of said tube; means in said box for removing moisture from thedischarged air; a discharge pipe for said tube and connected theretobelow said outlet box; means for preventing air from escaping throughsaid discharge pipe; means above said outlet box for deflecting liquidfrom the opening thereof; and means below said box for preventing liquidfrom entering said box.

5. In an apparatus of the class described a vertical tube having an airinlet at the top and an air outlet near the bottom; means for supplyingliquid spray to the inside of said tube to draw air through said airinlet; a deflector plate inside of said tube and above said outlet toprevent liquid from entering said air outlet; a restricted liquiddischarge orifice at the bottom of said tube; and deflecting meanssecured to the inside of said tube below said air outlet to preventliquid from escaping therefrom.

6. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a vertical tube having an elbow atits top end; means for supplying liquid spray to said tube to draw airthrough the openend of said elbow and downward in the inside of saidtube; means for discharging liquid from the bottom of the tube butpreventing the escape of air therefrom; and an air outlet box connectedto said tube near the bottom end there'- ot, said box having a series ofvertical eliminator plates for removing excess moisture from theout-going air and a series of louvers 5 for directing the current of airas it leaves saul box.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN SCHURMAN.

CERTIFICATE. or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1, 7 2, 644.

JOHN SCHU'RMAN."

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring'correction as follows: Page 3,line 26, claim 6, strike out the words "the inside of" and insert samebefore the Word "said" in line 24; same claim; and that the said LettersPatent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay-conform to therecord of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of July, A.-D. 1930.

Wm. A. Kinnan,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Granted. June 10, 1930, to

